'08 MD LB Eteyen Edet (Maryland Verbal)

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'08 MD LB Eteyen Edet



Inside linebacker
Fort Washington (MD) Friendly

Ht: 6-foot-2
Wt: 235 lbs
Forty: 4.66 secs
Bench max: 315 pounds
Squat max: 505 pounds

Sideline Report This Week in Prince George's High School Football - washingtonpost.com

Recruiters have taken notice. Maryland Coach Ralph Friedgen and seven assistants took in Friendly's 32-12 victory over Forestville last month specifically to recruit Patriots standout Lamaar Thomas. Instead, they left enamored of Edet.

North Carolina, North Carolina State and Illinois are also pursuing him.

Friedgen "came up to me after the game and said, 'Where did [Edet] come from?' " Thorpe said. "I told him, 'Coach, he came from out of the sky.' "

Well, not exactly. Edet was raised in Staten Island, N.Y., and transferred to Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy for his junior year of high school to receive better academic attention.

Earley said he left Fork Union after one year because of financial reasons. Edet then moved in with an aunt in Fort Washington this summer.

Rivals $

1/27

Maryland verbal.

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Recruiting Report: Terps LB signee Edet finds a prep school - University of Maryland, local and national recruiting news and analysis - baltimoresun.com

The Maryland linebacker signee will spend the fall semester at Milford Academy in New Berlin, N.Y. Edet, who played his senior season at Friendly High School in Fort Washington, will report to Milford next month.

A pair of Friendly assistant coaches, Marcus Berry and Ray Thorpe, guided Edet through the process of choosing a prep school.

“[Attending Milford for prep school is] going to give him the best situation because he’s not that far away [from qualifying] at all,” Berry said. “He really worked his ass off and got close. ... He’s going to get it.”

Edet and his coaches were, at one point, leaning toward a school in North Carolina. Ultimately Edet felt Milford would be better for his concentration.

“The [prep school] in North Carolina, I know a lot of people down there and I just want to stay focused and be where I don’t know anybody so I can stay focused,” Edet said. “I’m not there to meet people and have friends. I’m there to get a job done.”

Edet grew up in Staten Island, N.Y., but spent his junior year of high school at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia. Due to financial constraints, Edet left FUMA and moved in with his aunt in Fort Washington to attend Friendly as a senior. When looking for a prep school, Edet and his coaches had to find an affordable program.

“Finances were the deal,” Berry said. “If Milford hadn’t come with a great package, then he wouldn’t have been able to do it. But they came with a really good package and a really good deal.”

Thorpe said he was happy to help Edet in his search for the right school. He expects big things from the 6-foot-2, 245-pounder.

“He’s a great kid, and he’s a student of the game, but he’s probably the best linebacker I’ve ever seen come through our high school in 10, 11 years,” Thorpe said. “He’s better than Shawne Merriman coming out of high school. He’s a man playing against boys. I hate to put it that way, but it’s basically what it is. He’s very instinctive and you can’t teach instincts.”

Edet has overcome his initial disappointment of not qualifying, and is now focused entirely on the task at hand.

“I was upset at first when I had to go to prep school, but everything happens for a reason,” Edet said. “Maybe prep school’s going to help me be a better linebacker. So I’m going to do what I have to do, report to Maryland in January and tear it up.”

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Recruiting Report: Edet's status with Terps uncertain - Baltimoresun.com's Matt Bracken on University of Maryland, local and national recruiting news - baltimoresun.com

The former Fort Washington Friendly linebacker and 2008 Maryland signee went to Milford Academy in Berlin, N.Y. in August, but is now enrolled at North Carolina Tech in Charlotte, according to former Friendly assistant Ray Thorpe.

Edet’s stint at Milford ended almost as soon as it began.

“This went down ... I would say about the third week in August. He was [at Milford] for a week,” Thorpe said. “The impression that I got from the whole situation -- I talked to the head coach and they felt he wasn’t in shape when he came. ... It was [Edet's] fault, but he did work hard to lose weight [after going to Milford] and he was moving in that direction. Then apparently something went down between him and his position coach and I guess the head coach was perturbed by it and upset about it.

“The whole thing just got really blown out of proportion. Eteyen was very disheartened by it. He admitted he was probably just as accountable as his position coach. He tried, he said, but he couldn’t make any headway with them, and it was a matter of a difference of opinions and philosophies.”

Thorpe said he didn’t know if there was a specific incident that took place, but both parties agreed it would be best for Edet to find another school.

According to Thorpe, the Milford coaches told Maryland’s staff about the situation. Now Edet’s status as a Terps commitment is up in the air. It’s possible that he could end up in College Park -- assuming he qualifies academically -- but the Maryland coaches will have to be convinced all over again that Edet merits a scholarship.

“He’s not blaming Maryland,” Thorpe said. “He knew [coach Ralph] Friedgen showed him a great deal of respect and he wanted to prove to coach Friedgen he was capable of playing at that level and going by the rules and regulations of Maryland’s program. He was willing to do that, but he just got a bad taste with the prep school coach and it really bothered him. It concerned me too because I was disappointed in him in that I don’t think he handled it the proper way. As a young man he has to be accountable for his actions. And that’s how I explained it to him. So his attitude has now changed drastically.”

Thorpe said Edet’s off to a good start at North Carolina Tech. He’s working himself into playing shape and becoming acclimated to the school. He recorded approximately “six solos, two fumble recoveries and one interception in his first game,” Thorpe said.

While Edet’s “dream of playing for Maryland” may not become a reality, Thorpe said he will likely have other options -- provided he takes care of business on the field and in the classroom.

“There are several other schools interested in him, one being North Carolina,” Thorpe said. “They came back on him. I think Pitt is interested and Ohio University. Those guys are very much interested.”

Whether Maryland becomes interested in Edet again remains to be seen.